Including Bird's Commercial Motors Scrap Yard

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) purchased the site in 1940 as
a central facility for military operations and it later became an MOD Central
Engineers Depot. St Modwen subsequently acquired the site from Defence Estates
in November 2004 when the MOD had no further use for it.

The function of this Depot was to store resources for Army
Engineers in a series of storage sheds and warehouses of varying sizes. Many of
these were rail connected, served by sidings off a main 'loop' line which ran
around the site. The Depot's 'loop' main line fed into both ends of a small
marshalling yard/exchange sidings which were situated alongside the former GWR
Stratford-on-Avon  Honeybourne line just south of Long Marston Station
[provide link http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/longmarston.htm to page
on WRlys web site?]. The Depot's locomotive shed and a railway control office
were situated alongside the yard.

The Depot was built early in World-War II and was very busy
during that conflict. Most of the locomotives employed then were newly built WD
'Austerity' 0-6-0STs working over the 45 miles of track serving the facility.
Following the end of the war traffic declined rapidly, then over the rest of
the life of the Depot it steadily decreased. The Austerity steam locos were
gradually replaced by diesels although one or two were kept for steaming on
special occasions. In the 1960s part of the site was leased to Bird's
Commercial Motors  a Stratford-on-Avon based surplus and scrap dealer.
Because of the rail connection via the MoD yard Bird's was able to process
redundant British Railways locomotives and rolling stock with MoD locomotives
delivering items for scrap and transferring wagons of scrap to the main line.
Bird's used their own shunting locos within their premises.

The MoD depot facilities were run down in the 1990s leading
to eventual closure. The remains of the rail system was taken over for various
activities including industrial locomotive storage and repair, a secure store
for surplus mainline rolling stock, etc. [Information from Industrial Railway
Society Handbooks]

Long Marston Open Day in 1987 to commemorate 200 years of
the Royal Engineers

In 1987 an open day was held at Long Marston to commemorate
200 years of the Royal Engineers. Visiting loco LMS Stanier 8F 2-8-0 8233 was
used on a variety of freight and passenger trains running round the Depot loop
line. Army steam locomotive 98 (HE 3798/1953), which had been retained at the
Depot for steaming on special occasions, was also used on the trains together
with some Army diesel locomotives.

Bird's Commercial Motors Long Marston Scrap Yard

This particular part of the Long Marston complex was
actually in Worcestershire but is included here for completeness.

In the 1960s part of the site was leased to Bird's
Commercial Motors  a Stratford-on-Avon based surplus and scrap dealer.
Because of the rail connection via the MoD yard Bird's was able to process
redundant British Railways locomotives and rolling stock with MoD locomotives
delivering items for scrapping and transferring wagons of scrap to the main
line via the exchange sidings. Bird's used their own shunting locos within
their premises.